Sunrise in the West
by duckmiso
Summary: A moments close up on the lives of the four founders of Hogwarts. Falling in love, starting small and venting anger are just a few things you can look forward too! I tried to make it dramatic...
1. Godric Gryffindor: A calming flame

A/N: This is just an attempt to capture how beautiful I think it must have been for the founders of Hogwarts, what a friendship they must have once had. It's also to test my more dramatic writing skills, which I hardly ever attempt to utilise. Maybe this'll help me, eh? ^_~ Hope you like it!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as of yet, but the storyline (unless you count the axe, perhaps ^_~). JK Rowling and Warner Brothers own the rest.  
  
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Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the trees as I walked along in the forest, my axe slung over my shoulder. My feet made indents in the soft moss as I moved towards the smaller growths of this vast ocean of trees and greenery. A raven called from somewhere up in one of the taller trees above my head and I smiled. Ravens always reminded me of her. Everything reminded me of her! I swung my axe back and threw it. It sailed through the air and embedded itself in a large, dramatic oak. I looked up, shielding my eyes against the sun so I could study the upper branches. I found one that I could reach from the ground that was about the right size. With one hard swing of my axe, it fell to the ground with a rustle and a thump. I picked it up and leaned it against the tree, deciding I'd leave all the branches here until it was time to take them back.  
  
I closed my eyes and spun, axe held out in front of me. Then, just as she had said would happen, it sailed out of my hand as if of it's own accord. I opened my eyes and found it firmly stuck in a large ash. I only just managed to pull it out. Then I once again looked for a suitable branch and cut it down once I found it. Rustle, thump. So, I had two and I needed four. Only two more cuts to make and I could go back. Keeping my eyes firmly fixed on the ash tree in front of my, I flung my axe towards the right side of me. I didn't look over until I heard something fall. Then I looked and saw that the axe had cut down a small sapling of it's own accord. Upon closer examination I found it was a bay sapling. What was a small bay tree doing in the middle of a wild oak forest? The ash was understandable, there were a few of those around, but I always thought bays were what I would find in my companions herb gardens. I shrugged and picked it up. I sent both the bay tree and ash branch back to the oak where I would leave them to be picked up later with a well-placed banishing charm.  
  
I picked up the axes silver handle and looked at its diamond blade. It had been an expensive axe to make, but it would be worth it at the end. I smiled. Now, what had she said to do next? Her words came back to me, exactly as she had said them, tone and everything.  
  
"Then turn into the sunlight and find the tree who's shadows falls directly upon your shoulders." Here she looked up and smiled. "And that'll be the last one. Good luck, off your go." She had kissed me and shooed me out the door, probably looking forward to some time of quiet so she could get some work done.  
  
I looked and found the tree who's shadow fell upon my. Looking into the sun as I was, I could not see what sort of tree I would be taking as my last. I swung the axe at it, and it embedded itself at the joint of one of the branches. As I wrenched it out I noticed that the tree it had chosen was a large willow. In front of me was a quickly flowing stream in a bed of smooth, round rocks. I made quick work of the willow tree, simply cutting off the branch that the diamond axe had landed nearest and banishing it back to the other branches by the oak tree. Then I knelt down be the stream and plunged my face into it. The mid-august day was hot, and I needed the refreshment. Then I stood up, shook the water out of my hair, put the delicate but deadly axe in my belt, and made my way back out of the forest, after summoning the branches that I had so carefully selected.  
  
I came out of the forest next to the lake, and waved to the giant squid, which wiggled its tentacles back at me. I caught sight of the house and smiled. The Slytherin estates were large, but the castle that used to stand on these ground was destroyed in one of their many petty battles. The house the now stood on the edge of the lake opposite the forest was large, but most would not consider it fit for nobles of their stature, but they were happy with it for now. It had four levels and a cellar, and on each level there were two bedrooms and a main workroom where they could also make and eat food if they didn't want to go out that evening. All of my companions were adapt in cooking but we had enough money that we could always go out to one of those few restaurants they had in town. I broke into a run, eager to be back at the house, see how preparations were going. I burst through the door, nearly breaking it down.  
  
"I have the wood!" I cried, eager to hear her voice, hear her congratulate me. I turned the corner and saw her poised over some parchment, quill in hand, prepared to begin writing with a moments notice. She was a dark figure of intelligence and elegance, stature and grace. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back into a knot at the base of her neck, but was starting to come out of its ties, her blue dress set off her tanned skin and dark chocolate eyes. She was dark in every feature, but the light of life was clearly visible in her eyes. She looked up at me in surprise, and then smiled when she saw the branches I carried. That smile never failed to crack my hard exterior shell and melt the heart that I tried to keep so well protected. I smiled back and propped the branches up on the wall, walking over to kiss her, hug her, and just be near her. She is the truth within lies, the light within darkness.  
  
She is Rowena Ravenclaw, The life and love of me, Godric Gryffindor. 


	2. Rowena Ravenclaw: Saving graces

A/N: That's the second time in my life that I've updated twice in one day. Anyway, I haven't gotten any reviews for this yet so I can't thank anybody. *sniff* I don't have anything else to say, so here it is!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as of yet, but the storyline (unless you count the axe, perhaps ^_~). JK Rowling and Warner Brothers own the rest.  
  
I looked up when I heard his voice calling.  
  
"I have the wood!"  
  
He sounded so pleased with himself that at first I was very surprised. He usually never let his guard down long enough to have childish pride like that, but ever since we began courting he had been different. He had the sort of confidence that would allow him to be himself, without caring what other people would think. I loved him all the more for it. My face softened into a smile as I thought about how wonderfully he had changed. I hoped I had had some part in that change, then I could be proud of myself as well as him. I saw him smile back and leave the branches leaning on the wall as he walked towards me. I gave up all restraint and ran to his arms, nearly squishing him in my arms.  
  
"Oof!" His voice was muffled in my neck. "I thought you'd never get here." He squished me equally hard in his freckled arms.  
  
"Get here?" I asked puzzled and pulling back so I could see his face. He laughed, eyes sparkling.  
  
"Into my arms, Ena!" He used that pet name that used to bother me so much. But by now I had grown rather fond of it. Not of the name exactly, but of the way it was his name for me, and the way he said it that was so full of love. It just made my heart swell. I grinned helplessly, and studied his face, as I had been doing so much recently. His skin was pale but you could hardly tell for all the freckles that covered it. His shaggy cut hair was red like fire, and framed his face like some sort of halo. Yes, he was my angel. The eyes that now looked into mine were a beautiful light caramel, almost orange, but far softer. They could see right through any façade I might try to put up. And once I would have tried to protect myself from him, but at this point he didn't even have to look. But he did anyway.  
  
"Ena, your beautiful." Those caramel eyes once again met my own. "I love you." I almost couldn't catch my breath long enough to reply.  
  
"I love you too." I managed to whisper. He leaned towards me, and just as our lips met, Helga walked in. She looked at us, Godric now so deep in the kiss that I was the only one who had noticed her come in. She wiggled her eyebrows and turned her eyes away with a giggle. I couldn't help it. I smiled into Godric's lips. He pulled me back by my shoulder and looked at me with a smile.  
  
"What is it?" He enquired. I giggled before I could stop myself. I usually try to avoid giggling, a useless pastime if you ask me, but sometimes I just can't help it.  
  
"Helga just walked in with the groceries." I smiled. "I much as I'm sure she thinks we're terribly adorable, she raised her eyebrows rather suggestively when she came in and I'm not sure I'm all that comfortable to continue with her standing there watching us." Godric grinned as he turned to look at Helga. She was putting things away so we could get them out for diner later. He turned back to me.  
  
"Well, she isn't watching!" He exclaimed, and pulled me towards him again. We had another wonderful moment in that kiss until Helga couldn't hold her giggle back any longer. Godric released me with a sigh. "You'd better start shaping those wands, darling." I nodded and smiled.  
  
"I got a wonderful diner for tonight!" Helga piped up. She looked ravishing, as usual, I observed. Her dress was an extravagantly bright orange that would have looked horrible on me, but it fit her slim figure perfectly and brought out the orange highlights in her hair perfectly. Her blue eyes sparkled with happiness. "The children are coming for diner, right? I hope they are, I spend a lot of money on that sugared ginger!" I picked up the branches Godric had brought in from the forest and laid them out on my desk, studying them carefully. I trusted him, but he didn't know that much about the spell I had used, and I wanted to make sure he'd at least gotten good energies in them. These were very important branches! They were to be the wands of our first students. "I got a whole pig for the main course, we can use the spices and vegetables from the garden to garnish it. I also got some lovely plain biscuits made with very fine flour that we can put some gravy on and they'll be absolutely delicious! Then we can use those fresh strawberries with some thick cream on them and the sugared ginger for dessert! Sound appetizing?"  
  
"Oh, yes Helga. That'll be wonderful! The children will love it." He had done well in choosing the branches, though goodness knows how he found a bay tree in the forest was a mystery. I took out my pocketknife and began to select the right pieces and carve them into long, elegant shafts. Godric sat down at the long table where we often ate, spreading out the plans for the castle. He and Salazar were to be in charge of the building and planning of the castle we one day intended to build on this property. It would be our school of magic, the only one in England. Children everywhere were going without education because nobody had gotten it together to make a real school. If a young wizard were lucky they could become an apprentice, but only boys could do that. We were going to change that. Our castle would be amazing, not just large and full of secrets, but the secrets would be ever changing. We were going to make a living castle, a castle with a mind of it's own. It would grow and change to suit what was needed at the time, and only those who knew the proper spells could control it properly. Since Godric was an excellent architect, he was working on the plans and Salazar, being so commanding, would deal with the builders. But none of this would happen for another seven years. The spell needed to make a living castle would drain us for months and we needed somebody with good training in healing and other magic to take care of us and deal with any unfinished business. So we were each going to train a student before we even started the school.  
  
Helga had chosen the four neediest orphans and we would have them stay with us all year except for the two main summer months, when they would go back to the orphanage. Helga was very excited because we were having them for diner tonight. She intended to prepare a feast. I, however, had other plans for her.  
  
"Helga, dear. When Salazar gets back with the cores I'm going to need you to get them inside the wands." I said once I had finally finished carving the last one.  
  
"Aw! Rowena, I have to finish diner, and then go pick up the children! I won't have time!" Helga whined.  
  
"I need a rest before the students come, and any of the men would end up braking the wands!" I countered. Godric raised his eyebrows, but nodded.  
  
"It's true!" He was always so supportive!  
  
"Alright!" Helga finally agreed. "I'll have Salazar tell me if something starts burning and I'll feed the cores through once he gets here." She sighed. "But only because I know you'll never stay up late enough to have any fun if you don't get your rest, and the children need their wands!" She went quickly back to her cooking, determined to get as much done as she could before Salazar got back. I laughed and went up to my room on the second floor. The four-poster bed in my room was beautiful, with elegant blue curtains, and looked endlessly inviting. I collapsed onto it, still wearing my dress from that day, and was asleep before my head even came to rest on the mounds of feather pillows. 


End file.
